Sheesh.. this is unusual weather for here. We're on our 2nd week of "Arctic Blast" with sustained freezing temps and about 2' feet of snow. Today we've got a nice freezing rain (@ 25°F) creating a good 1" thick layer of ice on top of the dry fluffy snow below (major avalanche/slide scenario in the mountains).

hardtime ~> those are ventilated inner covers. Here's the copy on them from one manufacturer:

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Ventilation is very important to the health of the hive. It can be especially important in the winter in colder climates as well as during the heat of the summer. We have found an upper entrance so moisture can escape the hive in the winter combind [sp] with insulation so the moisture does not condense on the underside of inner cover and drip down on the cluster significantly improves overwintering success.

Dane, I can remember seeing a spring time photo of your hives on your deck overlooking that meadow. What a drastic change! Living in the south where we rarely see snow or extremely cold weather, it amazes me that bees can survive those extremes.

Looks like a pretty place to visit now and then, but I will take the sunny south.

Steve

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Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

I know you guys aren't used to that, but I have to say, it looks just like around here right now. It's unusual for us to have 20-30" on the ground at this time of year, but I'll take it, I love a white Christmas!

Yes indeed I do have fond memories of how drastically different it is here during the rest of the year. Just to reiterate, this is very bizarre weather for the region. It rarely dips below freezing nor snows in the valley. We've now had these sustained low temps and massive snow accumulations for over a week. There are "States of emergency" being declared, etc., etc., - all due to the weather. If this storm hit the mid-west, or anywhere else where it is the winter norm, it would be a bit challenging, but not as much as here. Thankfully I'm gtg in my 4x4 but mostly have been just hanging out & stuffing loads of oak in the wood-stove.

Today it is just above freezing here and the bees are out doing some cleansing flights... quite a few of them apparently not making it back to the hive as well. It's easy to spot out the casualties as they contrast with the white snow. I think we're headed for a slow melt over the next week... slow is good, from what I understand, so that there is less chance of flooding.

It is bizarre weather up here in the PNW, just to put things into perspective for the rest of the USA, Portland, Or has not had more snow fall at one time since the 1950's. The greater Seattle area has to go back to 1861 to have a record of this much snow on the ground at Christmas time. That's correct One Eight Six One--1861. That's over a hundred and fortyfive years.

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Life is a school. What have you learned? :brian: The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

Dane, you live in a beautiful part of the country. Personally I like snow, ice I can do without though...LOL Mother nature tends to throw us some curves sometimes. Know what you mean about chucking oak in the wood stove...nothing like wood heat. Nice looking hives. Do you have any trouble with the girls propolizing the vent holes?

Brian is right. I think this weather will have broken some all-time records (e.g. for Dec snowfall) before it's over & done, which couldn't happen too soon imho! lol!

I'll leave the political discussion for another sub-forum/thread. Nothing politcos say or do surprises me anymore. Whether fear, guilt or greed is the method, they're always about putting themselves into more power and separating people from their money it would seem.

dpence ~> thanks, it truly is gorgeous here & the weather is most always relatively quite mild. Combine that mild weather with a hilly city and that makes it all the more difficult for when a snow/ice event like this occurs.I don't have any problems with the bees propolizing the inner cover vent holes. They don't build burr comb or treat that area as part of their internal hive in any way actually.

it has been pretty, but i sure has been pain to work in. not to often that i wish my barn were closer to the house and not up hill, but i did these two weeks! dane, we still have over a foot on the ground with ice between. is it melting any faster on your side of town?

at least most of the ice is off the trees here. yesterday did that.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I hear ya TwT... I don't recollect you bragging about the weather there during the last drought however. ;)

Kathy ~> We're living at the triple point of H2O here atm (fog, rain/snow, ice, water), though warming and melting more rapidly. There is still a LOAD of snow/ice/slush on the ground. It's a mess... The roads are really interesting - deep, icy ruts with moguls! I think it's actually worse then when it was fresh, at least wherever hasn't been plowed (which is most everywhere, lol!).